Lee Jun-seok, Asked "Will You Be Next to Yoon?" Responds "I Am the Head Monk, Yoon Is the Supreme Patriarch"

Yoon Seok-yeol, the presidential candidate, and Lee Jun-seok, the party leader, greeting each other
Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Seoyoung Kwon] Lee Jun-seok, leader of the People Power Party, compared himself to a 'Juju monk' and Yoon Seok-yeol, leader of the People Power Party, to the highest Buddhist sect leader, the 'Jongjeong.'

On the 21st, Lee appeared on Channel A's 'News TOP10' and, when asked "Will you stay by candidate Yoon's side for any reason?" he replied, "Saying I will leave the party is not appropriate, and the candidate's victory is the top priority," using this analogy.

Regarding People Power Party lawmaker Hong Joon-pyo mentioning former Board of Audit and Inspection chief Choi Jae-hyung and former Suseong District Mayor Lee Jin-hoon as candidates for Seoul Jongno and Daegu Jungnang-gu nominations respectively, Lee said, "Since the Supreme Council has made a decision, it would be fine to adjust so that the candidates recommended by lawmaker Hong participate in the primaries." He added especially about former chief Choi, "Even if it wasn't lawmaker Hong, he was someone who had been recommended for the Jongno election or other major party roles."

On the possibility of lawmaker Hong joining the election campaign headquarters, Lee said, "At some point, it must happen," but also showed a cautious attitude, saying, "Right now, misunderstandings have accumulated between us, so approaching too hastily is difficult." Regarding the controversy over the recorded phone conversation of candidate Yoon's spouse Kim Geon-hee, he said, "If people are offended by what was said in private conversations, there would be no end," but also responded, "The spouse should also refrain from actively responding to media interviews."

Lee also addressed the controversy over shamanism in the campaign headquarters, rhetorically asking, "(Even newspapers) provide fortunes based on birth years; does that mean the entire nation has fallen into shamanism?" He described the view that the campaign relies on shamanism beyond the usual scope as "an excessive attack." Regarding the opposition unity with Ahn Cheol-soo, presidential candidate of the People Party, he criticized, "After saying he is not interested in unification, introducing the word 'Anilhwa' (a pun on 'unification') is speaking with a double standard."